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Digital Humanities Speaker Series: Walter ScheidelRedrawing the Map of the Roman World

In March, Dr. Walter Scheidel, Dickason Professor in the Humanities, Professor of Classics and History, and Chair of the Department of Classics at Stanford University, spoke about ORBIS, a tool developed at Standord that models the geospatial network of the Roman world.

Summary:
Ancient societies were shaped by logistical constraints that are almost unimaginable to modern observers. “ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World” (orbis.stanford.edu), for the first time, allows us to understand the true cost of distance in building and maintaining a huge empire with pre-modern technology. This talk explores various ways in which this novel Digital Humanities tool changes and enriches our understanding of ancient history.